Older Drivers To Receive CarFit Help From Santa Barbara And Auto Club Specialists

To help older drivers remain mobile, the Automobile Club of Southern California and the City of Santa Barbara will host a CarFit event. Designed to help seniors over age 55, CarFit helps older drivers learn how the effects of aging can change the way they fit in their vehicles and how their driving can be affected.

The free appointment-only CarFit event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27 at the Louise Lowry Davis Center, 1232 De La Vina St. in Santa Barbara, 93101. Appointments can be made by calling the Auto Club’s Community Affairs and Traffic Safety Office at 714-885-2300.

CarFit’s 12-pt., 15-minute checklist on the driver and their car includes evaluating:

Seat-belt adjustment

Car pedals

Seat and steering wheel positioning

Visibility through windows and mirrors

Often, adjusting these vehicle components will help senior motorists drive more comfortably and safely. Aging affects vision, flexibility, and strength, range of motion and even size and height, which can affect feeling in control behind the wheel.

California has the most adults over age 65 in the state. “If 75 percent of seniors were licensed in 2015, that adds up to 6.5 million licensed mature drivers,” said Anita Lorz Villagrana, the Auto Club’s community affairs and traffic safety manager. “And, more and more, seniors are driving more miles than 20 years ago,” she added.

“The Auto Club believes that people should be able to keep driving as long as they want to – if they can do so safely,” said Lorz Villagrana.

CarFit was developed by the America Society on Aging in partnership with AAA, AARP and the American Occupational Therapy Assoc.

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The Automobile Club of Southern California is a member club affiliated with the American Automobile Association (AAA) national federation and serves members in the following California counties: Inyo, Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Tulare, and Ventura.